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Meanwhile, DuPont announced it is exploring “strategic alternatives” for its performance-chemicals business that may include a full or partial separation of the businesses through a spin-off, sale or other transaction.

The businesses under review generated $7.2 billion in 2012 sales and include DuPont’s titanium technologies unit as well as its chemicals and fluoroproducts division.

“We have been carefully weighing the strong cash generation of our performance chemicals businesses against their cyclicality and lower growth profile, as well as where the power of DuPont's integrated science can be differentiated,” CEO Ellen Kullman said in a statement.

Earlier this year, DuPont, the No. 1 U.S. chemical maker by market value, sold its performance-coatings business.

In another important move, DuPont promoted 29-year veteran James Collins, Jr. to senior vice president in charge of industrial biosciences, performance polymers and packaging and industrial polymers businesses.

The personnel shuffle is designed to “accelerate the execution of” DuPont’s “applied integrated science strategy across its businesses.”